Maharashtra SSC Physiology, Hygiene and Home Science (MSBSHSE) key terms

The thin outer covering of a cell that holds the cell contents together and controls which substances enter and leave, allowing nutrients in and waste products out.

The smallest living unit of the body, containing a nucleus and cytoplasm, which carries out the basic activities of life such as taking in food and producing energy.

A group of similar cells working together to perform one particular job, such as muscle tissue that contracts or epithelial tissue that covers and protects body surfaces.

A body part made of two or more different tissues combined to carry out a specific function, for example the stomach, lungs, or heart.

A set of organs that cooperate to perform a major body function, such as the digestive system breaking down food or the respiratory system exchanging gases.

A daily food pattern that supplies all needed nutrients in correct proportion, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, water, and roughage, in amounts suited to a person's age and activity.

A substance in food that the body uses for energy, growth, repair, or regulation of body processes, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water.

A unit used to measure the energy supplied by food or used by the body; one kilocalorie is the energy needed to raise one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius.

The amount of energy the body uses at complete rest just to maintain breathing, heartbeat, and body temperature, measured before food or activity raises energy use.

The process by which large food molecules are broken down mechanically and chemically into smaller substances that can be absorbed into the blood and used by cells.

A protein made by the body that speeds up a specific chemical reaction, such as salivary amylase breaking starch into sugars during digestion.

The movement of digested food substances through the wall of the small intestine into the blood or lymph so that they can be carried to body cells.

Tiny finger-like projections lining the small intestine that greatly increase the surface area for absorbing digested nutrients into the bloodstream.

The daily habits a person follows to keep the body clean and healthy, including bathing, brushing teeth, washing hands, wearing clean clothes, and caring for hair and nails.

The systems and practices for safe disposal of human waste, wastewater, and refuse, together with clean water supply, so that disease-causing organisms do not spread in a community.

A living organism, commonly an insect such as a mosquito, fly, or flea, that carries a disease-causing germ from one person or animal to another.

An illness caused by germs such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites that can pass from an infected person, animal, or contaminated object to a healthy person.

The process of making a person resistant to a disease, usually by giving a vaccine that trains the body's defence system to recognise and fight that germ.

The careful selection of foods for family meals so that nutritional needs, budget, seasonal availability, food habits, and the number of family members are all considered together.

Methods such as drying, salting, pickling, refrigeration, and canning used to slow down spoilage and keep food safe and usable for a longer period.

The planned use of a family's time, money, energy, and materials to reach household goals smoothly, including organising work, sharing tasks, and maintaining the home.

A written plan that lists expected income and sets limits for spending on food, housing, education, health, and savings over a fixed period such as a month.

The technique of arranging household tasks to reduce unnecessary steps, effort, and time, for example by keeping frequently used items within easy reach.

The legal and moral protections available to a buyer of goods or services, including the right to safety, correct information, choice, and redress for defective products.

A symbol printed on a product to show that it meets a recognised quality or safety standard set by an authority, such as an ISI mark or an Agmark label.

A textile fibre obtained directly from plants or animals, such as cotton, jute, silk, and wool, rather than being manufactured chemically from other materials.

A textile fibre made by chemical processes from substances such as petroleum or cellulose, for example nylon, polyester, and rayon, often strong and quick-drying.

The pattern formed by interlacing lengthwise warp threads with crosswise weft threads during cloth making, giving plain, twill, or satin fabrics with different textures.

A paper guide showing the shape and size of garment pieces, including seam allowances and markings, used to cut fabric accurately before stitching.

The extra width of fabric left beyond the stitching line when cutting a garment, so that the pieces can be joined and the seam finished without reducing the size.

To record body dimensions such as chest, waist, hip, and sleeve length with a tape measure so that a paper pattern and the finished garment fit the wearer correctly.

The orderly changes in a child's physical, mental, emotional, and social abilities from birth through adolescence, which guide how adults should care for and teach the child.

A graph on which a child's weight and height are plotted over time and compared with standard values, helping parents and health workers detect poor growth early.

Free and guided activity through which a child explores the surroundings, practises skills, learns to share, and develops muscles, language, and imagination.

The immediate, temporary care given to an injured or suddenly ill person before professional medical help arrives, aimed at saving life and preventing the condition from worsening.

A clean pad of gauze or cloth kept free of germs and applied directly over a wound to stop bleeding and prevent infection until proper treatment is available.

A break or crack in a bone, recognised by pain, swelling, deformity, and loss of movement, which should be immobilised and referred to a doctor without delay.

The movement of water molecules through a partly permeable membrane from a region of higher water concentration to one of lower water concentration, important in cell function.